Fayette village council 12.23.09

Written by David Green.

By DAVID GREEN

After working on upgrades to the village sewer system in pieces for more than a decade, Fayette council is ready to tackle the remaining work in one large project.

Councilors voted Dec. 17 to seek funding through the USDA Rural Development office to help finish the sewer work. Many of the village’s sewer lines combine septic waste with storm water and that leads to overflows of sewage in heavy precipitation events.

The application seeks $3.89 million in federal funds, $500,000 from the state and $500,000 from other sources. The village would contribute $150,000 in the $5 million project.

Construction costs are estimated at $3.57 million. Administrative and legal costs, engineering and inspection total another million.

A copy of the pre-application form is available to the public at the village office.

Roberta Acosta of the Ohio Rural Community Assistance Program and Lee Sonnenberg of USDA Rural Development spoke with council members in July, advising them to complete the effort in one large project. The overall cost, they said, would most likely be less with that approach.

Tackling the project in phases doesn’t eliminate the problem, Sonnenberg said, it only extends it.

In addition, Acosta said, if federal funding were given for one phase, the next phase would probably not receive any.

Council members learned that the village’s economic status makes it eligible for the lowest interest rates on loans. A repayment plan might be extended to the maximum of 40 years.

With the existing federal programs, Sonnenberg said, this is a good time to seek financial help.